Feinberg
Northwestern Medicine | Northwestern University | Faculty Profiles

News Center

  • Categories
    • Campus News
    • Disease Discoveries
    • Clinical Breakthroughs
    • Education News
    • Scientific Advances
  • Press Releases
  • Media Coverage
  • Podcasts
  • Editor’s Picks
    • COVID-19
    • Cardiology
    • Cancer
    • Neurology and Neuroscience
    • Aging and Longevity
    • Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
  • News Archives
  • About Us
    • Media Contact
    • Share Your News
    • News Feeds
    • Social Media
    • Contact Us
Menu
  • Categories
    • Campus News
    • Disease Discoveries
    • Clinical Breakthroughs
    • Education News
    • Scientific Advances
  • Press Releases
  • Media Coverage
  • Podcasts
  • Editor’s Picks
    • COVID-19
    • Cardiology
    • Cancer
    • Neurology and Neuroscience
    • Aging and Longevity
    • Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
  • News Archives
  • About Us
    • Media Contact
    • Share Your News
    • News Feeds
    • Social Media
    • Contact Us
Home » New Drug Reverses Anticoagulant Effects of Common Blood Thinner
Clinical Breakthroughs

New Drug Reverses Anticoagulant Effects of Common Blood Thinner

By Sarah PlumridgeJul 14, 2015
Share
Facebook Twitter Email
Richard A Bernstein, MD, Neurology-Neurology
Richard Bernstein, MD, PhD, professor in Neurology helped lead an ongoing, multicenter study to determine the safety of a new drug and its ability to reverse the effects of an anticoagulant drug.

An investigational drug has been shown to reverse the anticoagulant effects of dabigatran in patients who present with bleeding or need for emergent surgery. Dabigatran, sold under the brand name Pradaxa, is a blood-thinner used to prevent strokes in patients with the heart condition atrial fibrillation.

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, enrolled 90 patients at 184 sites in 35 countries, including Northwestern Medicine. Unlike warfarin, but similarly to other members of the class of Novel Oral Anticoagulants, there are no currently approved reversal agents for dabigatran.

“Dabigatran prevents strokes better than warfarin with less bleeding in the brain, but one problem with dabigatran and other novel anticoagulants was that there was no reversal agent,” said Richard A Bernstein, MD, PhD, a co-author and professor in Neurology – Ken and Ruth Davee Department. “Some clinicians were wary of using this class of medications because there was no way to turn it off.”

Idarucizumab is given intravenously and binds to dabigatran. Within minutes of administration, the anticoagulant effect of dabigatran was completely reversed in the first 90 patients enrolled in this study.

“The advent of this reversal agent should provide both patients and physicians with peace of mind when taking dabigatran,” Dr. Bernstein said. “Its always good to have a way to turn off the effect of this blood thinner in emergencies.”

Dr. Bernstein is compensated by Boehringer Ingelheim for his work on the REVERSE-AD trial, as well as other consulting, research, and lecturing.

Cardiology Neurology and Neuroscience
Share. Facebook Twitter Email

Related Posts

Celebrating Advances in Alzheimer’s Research and Clinical Care

May 26, 2023

CT Scan Best at Predicting Heart Disease Risk in Middle Age

May 23, 2023

Investigating the Benefits of Salt Substitutes in Elderly Patients

May 22, 2023

Comments are closed.

Latest News

Celebrating Advances in Alzheimer’s Research and Clinical Care

May 26, 2023

Understanding How Hormones Influence Anemia

May 25, 2023

Groundbreaking Geneticist Delivers Epigenetics Lecture

May 24, 2023

CT Scan Best at Predicting Heart Disease Risk in Middle Age

May 23, 2023

Investigating the Benefits of Salt Substitutes in Elderly Patients

May 22, 2023
  • News Center Home
  • Categories
  • Press Release
  • Media Coverage
  • Editor’s Picks
  • News Archives
  • About Us
Flickr Photos
20230506_NM569
20230506_NM564
20230506_NM563
20230506_NM559
20230506_NM555
20230506_NM549
20230506_NM508
20230506_NM474
20230506_NM136
20230506_NM124
20230506_NM118
20230506_NM094

Northwestern University logo

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

RSS Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr YouTube Instagram
Copyright © 2023 Northwestern University
  • Contact Northwestern University
  • Disclaimer
  • Campus Emergency Information
  • Policy Statements

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.